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Seiko SBDX001 Marine Master vs. Orient Star WZ0251FD 300m Review!

14K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  JohnA 
#1 ·
i'm not sure if these 2 watches have been reviewed together. but, now that i have these 2 bad boys, i decided to take some pics of them. now, i'm not a horological expert by no means ;-), so i'll just let the pics do most of the talking...



as you can see, the os300 dwarfes the mm300 in both width...


...and height!!!
i like them both equally, but there's a few things that are very different between these two watches, besides the size.
- their movements (to me of course ;-)) are equal. i mean this purely in their accuracy. the os300 has kept an amazingly -0.5 sec/day right out of the box. the mm300 runs an excellent -2 sec/day. i know the mm300's got the "higher grade" high beat movement and it can be hacked and handwound, but, the os300's slowbeat, non-hacking/handwinding movement will rack up reserve time very quickly!
- bezel insert (though they're not really inserts..at least in the mm300's case) goes to the os300. it's very scratchproof, matte black, has the cool white numbers...i don't know...i just like it :-!! the mm300's is polished and scratches very easily, plus since it's actually a part of the bezel, it'll need replacing if it's badly scratched up. i wish seiko had used a ceramic or sapphire cover for the bezel...oh well, it does still rock :-d. i like the looks, just not it's toughness, or lack thereoff.
- bezel action is equal, except the mm300 is a 120 while the os300 is a 60 click bezel.
- bezel edge or outer edge of the bezel definately goes to the seiko. it's mean AND elegant at the same time. it's seriously, imho, the best looking bezel edge!!! the os300's is too "rolex like" for me.
- dial/readability. i like them both...but, the date on the os300 is a bit small. the seiko's dial is more elegant looking also. i think if i had the black os300, i could do more of a fair comparision here.
- crowns both equally screw down at least 4-5 times to seat them...which is great.
- hands go to the seiko!!! just an amazing attention to detail on their part!!! they're almost 3 dimensional. the os300's hands are just a bit flat looking. in turn, the seiko's are a bit too short, while the os300 hands are just the right length...for me anyways :-d.
- lume...is almost equal, but the os300's is bit brighter and longer lasting.
- case goes to the seiko. it's multiple polished/brushed finishes also give it, like the hands, a 3 dimensional look!!!
- crystal. the mm300 has a sweet curved hardlex crystal. i prefer it's shape, but at this price, a sapphire would've been cool, but it can be replaced if it get banged up with a sapphire...if i can find one somewhere! the os300 has a 5.5mm thick (i believe) sapphire crystal...awesome, but it's flat, which i don't like. i prefer curved crystals, but this is purely aesthetic on my part. this goes to the os300, BUT i wish it was curved!!! ;-)
i guess that's about it. if i sound naive...well, i probably am. i just know what i like and this is not at all an "experts or professional" review...just my "laymans" review ;-).
see you all on the forums...and remember all of the above is imho, so please forgive me if i ruffle any feathers.
 
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#2 ·
#3 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

how did you get that mm300 more accurate , when i sent it to you it was +4 to 5 seconds.:-d

I still have this watch in PVD, been wearing it when I get home, its getting to grow on me bid, if it does not get sold, it could be a keeper.

I am so glad the MM300 found a very nice home.

thanks for the review and photos.:-!
 
#5 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Excellent informative comparison. Thanks!
 
#6 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Two great watches, and a neat honest review. It's sacrilegious coming from a Seiko enthusiast, but I prefer the OS300 over the MM300. I know the movement is not as high end, but it's still got character and I don't care about accuracy that much (I never wear a watch for more than 2-3 days!). The tough OS300 bezel is what clinches it for me.

Enjoy your Japanese diver awesomeness!
 
#7 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Thanks for posting the nice head to head review!!!!

I'm partial to the MM300...but the gold accented Orient kinda intrigues me. Nice to see two beefy watches.

That's a great look on the MM with the low vis 4 ring zulu. You make a tall watch even taller!!!
 
#8 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Things that I don't like the Orient are:

1) hands..IMO very ugly;
2) date window without frame;
3) case just like a enlarged 007.

While for sure the movement itself is an issue which for a watch close to 1k, hi beat seems minimal.

Having said so, the finishing of the yellow dial is one of the best I've ever seen even though I hate those broken indexes of 1 and 2.
 
#9 ·
#10 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

how did you get that mm300 more accurate , when i sent it to you it was +4 to 5 seconds.:-d

I still have this watch in PVD, been wearing it when I get home, its getting to grow on me bid, if it does not get sold, it could be a keeper.

I am so glad the MM300 found a very nice home.

thanks for the review and photos.:-!
as far as accuracy, this was after 1 day. 2 days into it it's running on the minus side...-5 sec/day :-d. still fine with me. i don't get too crazy about accuracy personally. as long as it's not +/- 30 sec/day, i'm easy going! thank's again for a great deal!!! i wanted to get your pvd mm300 initially, but now after REALLY looking at the watch, i prefer it's original finish.
 
#12 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Things that I don't like the Orient are:

1) hands..IMO very ugly;
2) date window without frame;
3) case just like a enlarged 007.

While for sure the movement itself is an issue which for a watch close to 1k, hi beat seems minimal.

Having said so, the finishing of the yellow dial is one of the best I've ever seen even though I hate those broken indexes of 1 and 2.
i agree with you on 2 things...the case is extremely similar to the 007 and the hands, to me, are not ugly, but ARE a bit flat looking. as far as movement and high vs low beat. initially it irritated me, but now it's fine by me. but, you can't beat that accuracy!!!
 
#13 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Hey Francisco. I sold your MK II to buy my Orient 300M and you sold my Sinn to make room for the Seiko MM and now you're doing a review of both. That's funny.

Good review, btw. One thing you didn't mention was the weight. Although it's my daily wearer, I find the 300M to wear heavy. How does it compare to the MM?

Right now I can't decide whether my next watch will be the Seiko MM or a Sinn U1. Reviews like this are very helpful since I can compare the MM to a watch I already own. Thanks

-Nick
 
#14 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Hey Francisco. I sold your MK II to buy my Orient 300M and you sold my Sinn to make room for the Seiko MM and now you're doing a review of both. That's funny.

Good review, btw. One thing you didn't mention was the weight. Although it's my daily wearer, I find the 300M to wear heavy. How does it compare to the MM?

Right now I can't decide whether my next watch will be the Seiko MM or a Sinn U1. Reviews like this are very helpful since I can compare the MM to a watch I already own. Thanks

-Nick
hello,
to me, the mm300 wears a lot lighter than the os300...but, i know this from wearing the heads only since i put them on zulus/natos. the bracelets are comparable in weight though. i wish i did not have to flip any of the 2 chrono's i sold. i'd owned these 2 wathes in the past and wanted another sinn 256 and oris diving chrono and hated to sell them...but, since i'm not wealthy, this is the way it is to get another, more expensive piece :-(. i've seen the pics of your os300. i love that black dialed one :p...it may be one i pick up, after i save up for it first! i've never had a sinn u1, but i prefer the aesthetics of the mm300. i don't think you can go wrong with either one, but if you're rough with your watches or if they get banged up, the sinn maybe your best bet. it's built very tough and made to take a beating from what i've read.
 
#17 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

What's the cheapest for an Orient Star 300m black with bracelet? I think that might have replaced the MM300 as my "have to have" auto diver.
 
#18 ·
#19 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Things that I don't like the Orient are:

1) hands..IMO very ugly;
2) date window without frame;
3) case just like a enlarged 007.

While for sure the movement itself is an issue which for a watch close to 1k, hi beat seems minimal.

Having said so, the finishing of the yellow dial is one of the best I've ever seen even though I hate those broken indexes of 1 and 2.
the orient does have a high beat movement as explained to me anything over 18000bph is high beat.
 
#22 ·
Re: Seiko MM300 vs. OS 300m review!

Yeah, nice review - the black OS is on my list....
 
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